“The people of Ottawa deserve delicious donuts! ”
All in Retail
Marigold Jewellery
“Watching Goldsmithing for the first time was my light-bulb moment. I knew it was something that came naturally and I would love doing. “
Maison Noi - Robin, Emilie & Sonia
“All of us were reaching the 15-16 year mark in the business and it was becoming clear that we needed a challenge, we were ready to grow professionally. It was important to create a salon where we could bring our shared values to life, with our skills and hard work. The three of us wanted the same positive change, so we decided to take the leap together.”
White Cross Dispensary - Chantal & James
“We are blessed to have very loyal customers. When we started in 2006, we were pleasantly surprised with the number of patrons that had been loyal for decades. Many shared stories of how they have been clients for 50 years and continue to this day.”
Backcountry Wok + Wok Fresh - Melanie Ang
“ Backcountry Wok started from our desire to create better tasting and less wasteful dehydrated meals for camping. It is really important to me for our meals to be as sustainable and local as possible. That’s why we source all our produce from local producers here in Ontario. We prep and dehydrate all the ingredients in-house. “
Tosoni MD - Caroline Tosoni
“ Many of my patients have been coming to see me for 10-15 years. I see my role as someone who is there to inform, guide and educate. I am there to listen, advise and to help them ultimately look their best version of themselves. “
Big Rig Brewery - Lon Ladell
“My favourite part of the job is probably recipe development. It's fun to wake up in the morning and think about the type of beer you want to drink that day, then build a recipe and make it come to fruition.”
True Bijoux + Howard Fine Jewellers - Lindsay & Stephanie
“It is a lot of work. It helps that we each take a lead in a specific store. Working in any partnership requires respect, communication and a shared set of core values. “
Treatwell Pet Care & Veterinary Services of Ottawa - Mike Mossop
“Personally, I was getting burnt out with traditional practice and needed a change. It took some time and some soul-searching to figure what type of change was right for me, but mobile practice seemed to offer so much of what I was looking for that, in the end, I couldn't resist.”
Timm Holmes - Timm
“ I’m an author of children’s books but I’m also a father to two young sons that my wife and I adopted in 2013. Our bond as a forever family was formed over our mutual love of reading books and storytelling. I knew I wanted to tell stories after I won a storytelling contest in grade one telling Robert Munsch’s “Mortimer”.
Critter Jungle - Kelvin & Jeff Stanke
“I love working with my wife, children, my brother, and my nephew. This family feel is the essence of our business. Our customers, our wonderful staff, and the people we deal with behind the scenes all are like family to us, enriching our lives in so many ways, sharing the joys and the heartbreaks that life offers.”
HEXO Corp - Adam Miron
“Dig in. Starting a business is awesome. It's exciting and fun. But it isn't fun when you are a year or two in, broke, stressed, and having a hard time seeing the other side. If you start a business thinking it's going to be super fun the whole time, you are probably setting yourself for a major let down.”
Venus Envy - Sam
“I feel really lucky to be part of a network of thoughtful, conscientious, community-oriented business owners in Ottawa. There is something so special to me about businesses who see it as their mission to give back to the communities they’re a part of. I think that also resonates with people living in Ottawa, and has helped to build the strong ‘Shop Local’ ethic here.”
Urban Reifen - Kenny & Twinson
“ The idea was to offer traditional beverages akin to the origins of our ethnic culture (Hong Kong). While customers get their vehicle serviced, they can enjoy a serene café-like atmosphere with a beverage of their choice while they wait. “
Capital Barbershop - Ankur
“Ever since I've started learning how to cut hair, I’ve wanted a barbershop of my own.”
Hey Sugar - Debra
“ For me though, I tend to like the ones that take a bit of ingenuity to create or rely less on commercial flavours. My very favourite has to be the Margarita. I put just a tiny bit of flaky salt in the mold before I pour the candy in so the first few licks you get the sense of the salt rim on a margarita glass.”
Blade Barber - Tim
“I don't consider myself a risk taker and it’s hard to bring a new product to market without taking risks. I’ve learned that it’s okay to venture outside your comfort zone. It might even be healthy. “
Tallow Boutique - Jasmine
“Born and raised in Ottawa, I have always been drawn to the unique small businesses that make our city so vibrant and make shopping and dining a more personal and rich experience.”
Ottawa Tool Library - Bettina
“We set out to build a library for people to come, meet, get advice, and borrow tools. Often, those with the knowledge have built themselves a full workshop. We want to appeal to a broader demographic, especially those without the money and space for a massive collection of tools. And not just tools, but also the necessary ideas and expertise to use them safely. We wanted to make a community hub that empowered people, promoted sustainability, and collaborates with other community groups in the city. “
Desk Nibbles - Cassy & Emil
“We enjoy solving problems. This one just happens to be a pretty big one for most companies. Not only for snacks, but for ordering any high volume consumable. There is so much inefficiency. Companies are overspending millions of dollars and there is a lot of waste as a result.”